Swordplay Masterclass

Living in a relatively isolated community, DuelloTV has been essential to my learning the Art. It has also made me feel less isolated and able to expand my horizons despite the lack of availability of fencing clubs and training partners.

When I heard about HEMA, I really wanted to get into it but didn’t know where to start. There are no schools/clubs anywhere near me, and I don’t speak Italian or German, so unless there’s a manuscript in English or Spanish I couldn’t go to the original sources. And there are tons of resources online, but you can tell they’re written by (and for) people who already know what they’re talking about. But then I found Duello, and I’ve been loving it! I’m currently going through one of their “sidesword” courses (which btw includes sword & buckler) and it has been awesome! I still have a lot to learn, but now I have a great way to learning it well. I’m hooked!

My experience changed the way I approach the art. Putting aside all of the physical and sword skills that I learned in this intensive, I feel that I learned how to learn, and I feel much more confident moving forward in my training now.

This an excellent deep dive into a practice of the longsword. Whether you’re new to swordsmanship, an experienced martial artist looking to pick up a new proficiency or just want to pursue a physical historical topic that can be acquired academically and athletically this MasterClass will serve you well. There is truly something for every level of interest in this course. The pacing is challenging and engaging at the same time, and with a flexible timeframe that encourages the practitioner to advance at a reasonable, self-driven pace. The masterclass teaches not only how to use this particular historical weapon, but how to create a path toward excellence that can be applied to any endeavor. These weeks have been time and money well spent!

I’m absolutely surprised by the amount of material that was covered, by how much I improved in 5 days, and by the amount of the information my brain retained. The intensive was very well thought out, professional, and quickly gave you a feeling of belonging. I would definitely recommend it to anyone at any skill level. Why? A full week of nothing but focus on swordplay.

For me the videos were incredibly useful. In my area there are no longer any sort of fencing clubs other than the occasional SCA group. The videos provide an incredibly useful resource that I find far more engaging than studying the various manuscripts on my own.

You will be exhausted. Your feet will hurt; your knees will ache; your mind will feel heavy; and you will love every minute of it. I cannot imagine a better way to really begin to understand the art of sword-play.

Every journey starts with putting one’s feet on the path. This class helped me find the path, chart out what my journey would be. We had excellent guides for the swordplay journey as well as most excellent companions.